Cleaning brush



E. P. CRESSLER CLEANING BRUSH Filed April 29, 1926 Aug. 27, 1929.

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Application hled hpril 29,

This invention relates to cleaning brushes and, more particularly, to brushes which are used for removing deposits of foreign matter rather than preventing diseased conditions in the mouth by each application of the brush subsequent to the first use thereof.

It has been proposed to overcome,-in ameasure, certain of these objectionable fea- 1 5 tures by the provision of a tooth-cleaning and massaging brush wherein the brush-head, or at least the bristles thereof, are constructed wholl of soft rubber. Such a brush, however, avlng its bristles constructed of soft 2o rubber, lacks the necessaryrigidity o'r stifiness for entering the interproximal spaces of the teeth in the cleaning operation, and its bristles bend over, which results in a mopping or massaging of the more exposed portions only of the teeth, rather than the thoroug'h brushing and cleaning of'the entire exposed portions of the teeth and of the spaces therebetween which is desired.

I have discovered, and the present invention is predicated upon the discovery, that by Another object of constructing the brush of paper or similar fibrous material, any desired degree of stifi:'-

ness of the material may be obtained and a much finer tongue or bristle, which will yet be harder and firmer than rubber, may be produced. By then coating the brush-for the prepared material prior to the formation of the brush-with latex, or any other substance having substantially the same proper-.

ties, all sharp edges which might have a tendency to out the gum are covered and the support and flexibility of the latex, rubber, or

other waterproofing compound, imparted to 'thebrush parts serve to prevent the bristles from bending over or breaking in use.

It may now be stated that an object of this invention is the provision of a cleaning brush comprising a pair of detachably associated elements whereinjonw of the elements, the brush-head or cleaning element, is cheap enough of construction to warrant use thereof but once, whereby it may be thrown away after such use and another similar "element substituted for subsequent use. I

the invention is the promac. Serial no. mace s 1 vision of a cleaning-brush wherein the brushhead, or at least the bristles or tongues thereof, are constructed largely of paper or the like material.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cleaning-brush wherein the bristles .are constructed of paper or the like material coated with latex or some similar vulcanizable taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming apart of the disclosure, it being understood that, while the drawings show certain practical embodiments of the invention which have proven satisfactory inuse, the latter is not to be confined to the showing thereof but'may be changed or modified so long as such changes and modifications -mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as hereinafter fully deschibed and" claimed.

In these drawings: Figure 1 1s a view in perspective of a cleaning-brush embodying, certain features of my inventive-concept Figure 2 is-a fragmentary enlarged view in plan ofa strip fromawhich the head of a brush as shown in Fig. 1 isconstr'ucted;

Figure 3 is a similar view of a modified form of brush-forming strip;

Figure 4 is a sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; a

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in plan of still another form of strip;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation illustrating one form ofhandie and the manner in which it is associated with the brush-head; D

Figure 7 is a fra mentary v1ew in plan of the form of handle s own in Fi 6-;

F-igure S is a similar view 0 the form of handle shown in'Fig. 1; d f

' Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional now, taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6

FigureslO and 11 are views in end elevation illustrating the manner in which the brushhead is bored or drilled to accommodate the comprises a handle 2 and a bodyeportion or brush-head 3 detachably associated therewith in order that after the brush has once been used, the header brush proper may readily be removed and another head substituted therefor for subsequent use.

The brush-head 3 may be constructed in a variety of ways (three being shown in the drawings for illustrative purposes), it being necessary only that the bristle or tongue portions 4 of the brush-head be constructed of paper or any equivalent cheap material hav ing the required characteristics, and be coated with latex orany equivalent coating compound, as shown at L in Figs. 12 and13, to insure the desired advantageous results.

For instance, the brush-head may be formed by winding a strip 5 (Fig. 2 of paper or similar material which has prevlously been" serrated along one entire edge to provide the bristles or tongues a, upon itself and sepuring the adjacent layers 6 to each other by a suitable adhesive. The strip 5 may be coated with latex or other waterproofing substance prior to the winding thereof into brush form, or the entire brush-head, when wound, may be dipped in the'coating solution, in which event, the coating solution itself acts as an adhesive andholds the layers together. In this form, the bristles or tongues 4: of adjacent layers are quite "close together and a relatively compact, stifi brush-head is produced.

It is preferable, however, that the bristles.

or tongues of adjacent layers 6 be spaced from each other both-to permit more ready individual movement of the bristles and to providespace within the brush for the reception ofa dentifrice such as is usually employed and applied with the brush. This re,-

sult may be obtained by winding a spacing strip 7 with the strip 5. The strip 7 may be of any desired thickness, it is preferably slightly less than half the width of the strip 5, and may be adhesively secured thereto prior to the winding'and coating operations.

The same result may be obtained by employing astrip 8 (Fig. 5) which is provided with tongues 9' extend ng from one side thereof throughout portions only ofits length, the intermediate portions 10 servingto space the tongue-bearing portions 11 from each other when the strip is woundinto brush form.

The portions 10 and 11 of the strip 8 are, of course, made progressively longer from the end of the strip which is to be located con trally of the brush in order that each portion may be of the desired length.

In Figs. 1 and 8, I have illustrated one form of handle which may be advantageously employed, and wherein an end 12 thereof is bifurcated to provide a pair of diverging, tapered tongues 13 which are designed to be inserted with some small degree of force into similarly shaped holes 14 extending inward ly from an end of a brush-head 3 constructed in accordance with any of the above-described embodiments. The tongues 13 and holes 1 1 may be of any desired shape in crosssection, but it is desirable that they be tapered in order .that the handle and brush-head may remain firmly assembled during use of the brush and yet be readily separable for changing brush-heads.

The form of handle illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 9 is provided at one of its ends with a single tapered tongue 15, designed to. fit within a similarly shaped hole 16' extending inwardly from an end of the brush-head 3, and a flat holding strip 16 spaced from the tongue 15 and adapted to bear against the back of the brush-head 3, the free end of the strip 16 being bent toward the tongue 15, as at 17, to engage with the brush-head to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the p elements. The brush-handle 2 may be made of any suitable material and the hole 16 or oles 14:, as thecase may be, are preferably swabbed with latex in order to cause a greater gripping action between the brush-head and handle. I 1

With any cleaning toothbrush, it is essential that the bristles be small and firm enough to pass between or even into the interproximal spaces of the teeth so as to get a sweeping effect in the cleaning action. By con structing the brush of paper, possible to obtain a much finer and firmer bristle than .is possible with rubber, felt or string, but the bristles, even should they become broken and detachedE-Whioh is unlikely from a single use of the brush-will readily I gecompose in the body and therefore do no arm.

By coating the brush-head, or at least the bristles thereof, with latex, the bristles are less liable to.break off and. the possibility of cutting of the gums by the edges of the paper 120,

is obviated.

, By the term latex I mean to define. any

compound including in its composition a latex such, for instance, as the latex of the rubber tree combined with other elementsand prepared in such a way that the compound when applied in li uid form to an object will harden thereon an constitute a flexible, impervious, rubber-like coating. This-coating is capable of being vulcanized, or of being 130 it is not only i sub'ected to heat without vulcanization and wit out material change in its physical characteristics. I may also use any equivalent coating compound which is water-proof and which when applied to an object in liquid form will harden to constitute a flexible, impervious,

. rubber-like coating capable of withstanding- 1. A toothbrush body including a strip of fibrous material wound upon itself, integral cleaning tongues extending from portions of 5 the edge of the strip, and a flexible impervious coating on said cleanin tongues, 2. A cleaning-brush ody including a narrow strip of fibrous material wound upon itarticle without vul-.

ication of heat self and formed with integral cleaning tongues extending from one'edge of the strip, and a flexible impervious coating possessing adhesive properties on the strip retaining it in wound condition and covering the tongues. I 3. A cleaning-brush body including a narrowstrip of fibrous materialhavin a plurality of spaced groups of integra cleaning tongues extending from one edge thereof an wound upon itse f so that portions of the strip without tongues space the groups '0 tongues from each other, and a flexi 1e impervious coatin on said cleaning tongues.

4. A toothbrush including a brush-body and a'handle detachably associated therewith, said body being constructed wholly of a strip of fibrous material formed with integral cleaning tongues, coated over its entire surface with a flexible impervious coating possessing adhesive properties, wound upon itself and retained in wound condition by said coating.

5. A brush-head having cleaning tongues formed of fibrous material and having a rubber coating.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature hereto.

EDWARD P. CRESSLE-R. 

